Media-centric smartphone market seen reaching $1.05 billion by 2030

The Business Research Company says the media-centric smartphones market is set to grow from $0.81 billion in 2025 to $1.05 billion by 2030, driven by demand for better video, audio and gaming experiences. North America held the biggest share in 2025, while Asia-Pacific is expected to grow fastest.

Why it matters: - Media-centric smartphones are becoming a bigger slice of the handset market as consumers spend more time on streaming, gaming and content creation. - The forecast points to steady demand for devices with stronger cameras, displays and audio systems. - The trend matters for smartphone makers, component suppliers and app platforms targeting richer mobile media use.

What happened: - The Business Research Company projected the media-centric smartphones market will rise from $0.81 billion in 2025 to $0.85 billion in 2026. - The report forecast the market will reach $1.05 billion by 2030, implying a 5.2% compound annual growth rate. - The company released the market outlook from London on July 2, 2026. - Download a free sample of the report. - View the full market report.

The details: - Media-centric smartphones are designed for a stronger multimedia experience across audio, video and display performance. - The devices typically include advanced camera systems, powerful processors and large, vivid screens. - The report linked recent growth to broader smartphone adoption, higher mobile content consumption, better camera quality, stronger mobile processors and the expansion of mobile gaming. - The forecast period is driven by demand for immersive multimedia experiences, 5G-enabled streaming services, foldable smartphone designs, display upgrades and integrated content creation tools. - Expected product trends include high refresh rate displays, OLED panels, multi-lens and periscope cameras, gaming-optimized phones, foldable and dual-screen devices, Dolby Atmos audio and stereo speakers. - The report said North America held the largest share of the market in 2025. - The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market during the forecast period. - The analysis also covered South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, South America and the Middle East and Africa.

Between the lines: - Mobile media use is still expanding, and the report frames smartphones as the main device for that growth. - Ericsson reported in June 2024 that global mobile data traffic rose about 25% year over year in 2023. - Video streaming accounted for about 70% of total mobile data usage in 2023, up from about 65% in 2022. - That shift suggests device makers will keep competing on screens, cameras and audio rather than raw handset volume alone.

What's next: - The report expects further growth as 5G streaming, foldable designs and content-creation features become more common. - Smartphone brands are likely to keep leaning into premium media specs to capture demand in both mature and fast-growing regions. - The company also added 2026 report features including market attractiveness scoring, TAM analysis, company scoring matrices, Excel forecasting dashboards, hotspot infographics and updated graphics and tables.

The bottom line: - Media-centric smartphones are projected to keep growing at a mid-single-digit pace through 2030, with demand concentrated in richer video, gaming and camera experiences.